Description
Life span: Up to 30-60 years
Long, brown feathers that resemble a mane crown the Philippine eagle’s neck. The eagle has a creamy-brown neck and crown with a black face. The underside and underwings of the Philippine eagle are white, while its back is dark brown. The prominent, sizable, high-arched, deep beak is a bluish-gray color, as are the robust, huge, dark claws on the heavy legs. The eagle has blue-gray eyes. Except for the pale fringes on their upper part feathers, juveniles resemble adults.
Native Region/Habitat
Only four Philippine islands—Leyte, Luzon, Mindanao, and Samar—are home to this species. Most people live on the island of Mindanao. The Philippine Eagle is a bird that inhabits montane forests, mostly in craggy, steep mountains. Depending on the types of prey that are available on each island, its diet differs.
Behavior
Philippine eagles are mostly solitary birds that live by themselves or in pairs for breeding. They sleep at night and are busy throughout the day. Philippine eagles typically engage in two types of hunting. One kind of hunting involves sitting virtually motionlessly on a limb close to the canopy to observe prey behavior. Philippine eagles typically soar but more frequently flap their wings. The majority of them are believed to be solitary and non-migratory. Philippine eagles are active during the day. The other is called perch-hunting, which is routinely gliding from one perch to another. They frequently work their way down from the canopy down the branches when perching, and if their first expedition is unsuccessful, they fly or circle back up to the top of the trees to try again. Sometimes, eagle couples may hunt groups of monkeys simultaneously. One bird would perch close to occupy the monkeys while the other swoops in from behind, ideally going unobserved, to make the kill. The most typical vocalizations made by Philippine eagles are loud, high-pitched whistles with varying pitches. When pleading for food, juveniles are renowned for making a series of high-pitched sounds.
As a pet/In captivity
A huge wild raptor of this type is not maintained as a pet. This bird is bred in captivity because of the fall in its population. Hunting for birds is illegal in the Philippines since they are protected under the law. The Philippine Eagle Conservation Program strives to inform and increase public awareness of the value of preserving this bird’s natural habitat.
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